To Rivendel
by FrozenxWonder
Summary: While guiding Sam, Pippin and Merry to Rivendel after Arwen takes Frodo, they run into an unexpected friend. movie based.


"Get off the path, quickly!" Strider barked at the Hobbits.

It had been several hours since Arwen had ridden ahead with a nearly unconcious Frodo to take him to Rivendell. Now it fell to Strider to lead Sam, Merry and Pippin the rest of the way to the Last Homely House. Currently Strider could hear horse hooves thudding against the earth, drawing nearer and perhaps bearing one of the Nazgul toward them.

Quickly the three Hobbits scampered into various small hiding places, tucking themselves behind bushes or in the roots of large trees. Once they were hidden, Stride threw himself into the bushes and rolled so he was on his stomach, a knife in his hand and watching the path. Across from his hiding place he could see Pippin and Merry huddled in the roots of a large old oak.

Moments passed and Strider could feel his heart hammering in his throat until...

A dappled grey horse's legs appeared in front of Strider's hiding place. The hooves danced in place as the rider reined the beast to a halt. Tensing, Strider waited. The rider didn't continue but the horse remained still, snorting and shaking its mane. Unable to see higher then perhaps the horse's knees, Strider couldn't see the rider but knew it wasn't a Nazgul for their mounts were only black beasts darker then a moonless night's sky.

Strider nearly had a heart attack when suddenly a face appeared in front of his hiding place. Letting out a strangled yell of surprise, Strider pushed himself backward in a comical frantic scramble backward from the elf that had appeared in front of him. Winding up on his backside, knife dropped and back against a tree, Strider stared up at the elf that still stood in front of his hiding place. Now that he had a decent look at the elf that had surprised him, Strider relaxed.

There was no mistaking the long blond braided hair, clear blue eyes, pale skin, peaked ears and handsome bow slung across the back of the elf. Dressed in a traveler's garb of muted browns, the elf looked relatively unimpressive but to Strider he was perhaps the most welcome sight in the world.

"Don't. Ever. Do. That. Again" Aragorn said firmly, trying to calm his galloping heart and glare at the elf.

Laughter like silver bells came from the archer, blue eyes sparkling with mischeif and eternal wisdom of ages long passed. "Why do you always hide in the same places Estel?" the elf asked curiously, offering a hand to pull the ranger from the bushes.

Taking the offered hand, Strider let himself be pulled up onto the path. "Because I'm a creature of habit" Strider replied drly. Looking around, Strider sighed. "Come out Pippin, Merry, you too Sam. Come, there's someone you should meet."

Standing beside the elf, Strider watched as Merry and Pippin wearily came out of the tree roots and Sam crept out from a mess of juniper bushes with leaves in his curly blond hair. They all watched the elf wearily, eyeing his weapons and the horse as if they expected the peaceable animal to attack them. Then again, to Hobbits anything as tall as a horse was plenty dangerous.

"Mae govannen master perian" the elf said, bowing formally to the three travel-worn Hobbits.

"This is Legolas Greenleaf of Mirkwood" Strider informed the weary Hobbits. "He is a friend of mine."

"Guilty as charged" Legolas said with a grin, sidling over to his horse and stroking its mane. The dark-eyed horse bumped its muzzle against the elf's shoulder. Looking over at Strider, Legolas's blue eyes scanned the ranger. "I must ask Estel, why are you bound for Rivendel?"

"Why are you coming to Rivendel?" Strider shot back, crossing his arms over his chest.

The Hobbits watched from man to elf as if watching a tennis match. Sam looked awestruck at the sight of a real elf while Merry and Pippin looked mildly amused.

"Lord Elrond has sent urgent summons to Mirkwood and thus I came" Legolas replied stiffly. "I've ridden day and night for Elrond does not send summons lightly but you avoid my question mellon nin, why are you bound to Rivendel? Surely no messengers summoned you from the wilds!"

"No but I came at the summons of Gandalf the Grey to bring some friends of his to Lord Elrond" Strider explained, only really half lying.

Legolas gave the ranger a look that clearly said he wasn't fooled. "I see. Well then gwador nin, I will not keep you in your travels."

Patting the horse's neck, the elf prince swung himself up onto the horse's back. Frowning, Strider lunged forward and grabbed a handful of the horse's mane before Legolas could urge it forward with word or motion. "Now mellon nin, we go to the same place, will you not simply travel with us?"

"I am afraid not mellon nin for a beast fouler then the orcs of Mordor are hot on my tail" Legolas explained with a forlorn expression.

The three Hobbits yelped as one and cowered together. It was Sam that spoke up in a shaking voice. "Strider, that's not possible is it? Not this close to Rivendel right?"

Strider raised a brow and looked at the Hobbits, then back at Legolas. "Pray tell oh Mighty Prince of Mirkwood, what could be more fearsome then the orcs of Mordor? Sauron himself perhaps?"

"If only. No, I am fleeing from my father's escort." Legolas grimaced and glanced behind him as the sound of more hooves became louder, thudding up the path. "Farewell Estel, Hobbits, I bid you good luck and if they ask, you never saw me!"

Laughing like a loon, Legolas and his mount shot forward sending dirt flying as they made their escape toward Rivendel with Strider laughing in his wake. Laughing and almost crying, Strider barely was able to compose himself as the escort from Thranduil's court came galloping toward them in persuit of the runaway prince. Shepherding the three Hobbits out of the way, Strider waited as the elves approached, a frazzled looking dark-haired elf in the lead.

"You! Ranger, have you see an elf ride past?" the elf barked sharply.

Shaking his head, Strider smiled pleasantly. "I'm afraid not master elf, our road has been a lonely one."

Grumbling something in silvan, the elf barked an order to the other riders and in a thunder of hooves the elves were off again in search of their wayward prince. Though Strider didn't doubt the loyalty and love Mirkwood elves held for their prince, he had many years of experience to tell him how much his father's escorts dreaded escorting him to Rivendel. Snickering again, the Ranger began to lead the Hobbits along the road toward Rivendel.

"How did you like your first meeting with Prince Legolas of Mirkwood?" Strider asked, glancing back at the Hobbits.

Merry's mouth fell open, Sam nearly fell over in shock and Pippin tripped on his own feet in surprise.

"Th...that was a prince?!" Merry yelped, grabbing Pippin's arm in time to stop his cousin from doing a faceplant.

"Indeed" Strider confirmed with a sly grin. "Prince Legolas of Mirkwood, son of Thranduil King of Mirkwood, Heir to the Throne and my best friend for decades. That's not the first escort he's been successful in slipping away from."

"Does he do that a lot?" Sam asked, still looking shocked.

Strider nodded, smiling fondly. "Indeed, it often gets him quite the tongue lashing from either Lord Elrond or King Thranduil. Both if both of them are there."

"He didn't act like a prince, didn't dress like it either" Pippin mentioned.

"The only way you will see Legolas look like a prince is when he must act as one. On the road, he is a warrior like any other" Strider assured them. "He is strange as elves go, befriending humans and young but wise byond his years in ways his peers never understand but enough of that now, you shall see him again. We must hurry to reach Rivendel before dark."

"Are there orcs near?" Sam asked, looking at the trees with mistrust.

"No my friend, I merely wish to see Lord Elrond's reaction to Legolas arriving before his escort. It has been many years since I've had the pleasure to laugh at Legolas while he faces on of Elrond's lectures."


End file.
